


Judge, Jury, Executioner

by persistent_pedantry



Series: The Gems Are Gay and You Can't Stop Them [1]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-10
Updated: 2020-04-11
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:41:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,376
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27232894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/persistent_pedantry/pseuds/persistent_pedantry
Summary: The rebellion drew desperation from the Great Diamond Authority, and with desperation comes invention.
Series: The Gems Are Gay and You Can't Stop Them [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1988275
Kudos: 1





	1. Necessity Breeds Innovation

**Author's Note:**

> A long time ago, when the SU fandom was booming, I made an OC just called Black Gem. They were very simplistic, meant to be a reflection of the Grim Reaper. I had a cool idea with this, but I couldn't properly execute it at the time. Then, years later, I gave it another shot and ended up with this as its origin story. I also hid a Jojo reference in it.

_Diamond Court, Homeworld_ _  
__~5,400 Years Ago_

“This rebellion has waged for a hundred years and we stand no closer in dealing with it!”

Yellow Diamond paces at the foot of her throne, hands clasped tightly behind her back. “The Shattering Robonoids are useless, the rebels find new crevices to crawl into, and so we have to continue to be insubordinated by _COMMONERS!_ No, not even commoners! Th--”

“Quiet, Yellow,” White Diamond interrupts, raising a hand sternly.

Yellow looks up to White impatiently, releasing her grip to swipe at the air towards the door. “White, they are _filth_. Filth that _you_ have always been so eager to get rid of!”

“I said to be quiet.”

“We have the ultimate say in this uprising, Yellow. The rebels will dwindle in time, even if it takes a century more.” Blue Diamond rests her hands on her lap, watching Yellow with concern.

Sputtering for a moment, Yellow looks to Blue in exasperation. “The rebellion _may_ end itself in another century or so, yes, but this is a crack in our perfection!” She looks to White again. “White, surely you can’t say that you’ll just sit back and let this happen?”

The Ball Room is silent for a time.

White sighs.

“They will peter out in due time, Yellow,” Blue reassures her, “We have no ne-”

“ _Quiet_ , Blue.” White interrupts, looking at Yellow with a tight-lipped frown. “If you absolutely insist on being a nuisance about this, then I will resolve it.” 

With Yellow’s curiosity, and Blue’s concern, piqued, she calms down, looking up to White with an expectant stare. “By all means. What’s your plan, then?”

“My plan, Yellow, is one of efficiency: one that will both shatter every rebel and inspire every loyal member of Homeworld.”

Blue almost pales, looking to White incredulously. “White, sister, I have made my disapproval of this--!”

“I hold the greater wisdom, Blue,” White interrupts again, shooting a look at Blue. “If we were to do as you desired, we would be holding peace conferences. Your disapproval is ill-informed.”

Blue lowers into her throne with a sigh, resting a hand over her eyes. “Very well.”

As Yellow watches, a curious smile grow. Her hands clasp behind her back again, though lacking their vice-like grip from minutes before. “With that out of the way: about shattering rebels?”

“About shattering rebels,” White repeats, motioning to the empty throne where Pink Diamond once sat. “We bear an empty throne, Yellow, and Pink has much to learn. There is a method we can use, however theoretical, to create a new member of the council, if you will.”

Yellow raises a brow. “You want to make another Diamond? What use will it serve if not to extend our arguments?”  
  
“It will not be a judge as we are; that would achieve nothing, Yellow.”.

“It will be an executioner,” Blue finishes, standing from her throne to look at White again. “White, I implore, this is unnatural! It-”  
  
“ _We_ dictate what nature is, Blue,” White interrupts. “If I decide that another Diamond should be created, it will be created. We have achieved such power in that in can be done, and if it can be done, it will be.”

Blue slowly sits down in her throne again, resting a hand over her face. She sighs quietly, but says nothing.

“It’s decided, then.” Yellow begins, her smile broadening in victory. “A new Diamond will join us; one who can shake the rebels to their cores, and hunt them down without mercy! With the rebels being dealt with by her, we can spend our efforts on expanding Homeworld and its empire. What say you?”

White nods, leaning back in her throne with a small, satisfied smile. “We will begin immediately.”


	2. The Sin of Creation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Diamond is made, but at what cost? Not, uh... not much. The Diamonds are probably exempt from Homeworld's economy.

_Diamond Court, Homeworld_ _  
__~5,350 Years Ago_

A Diamond, of course, couldn’t be made in a kindergarten. It would have to be made in its own chamber, waited on by whatever servants had the privilege to know of the project. The Diamond had to be flawless; it had to be unbreakable. Diamonds of many colours were formed: purple, green, orange, grey, red; they all shattered in time. The tests were brutal, and few survived.

In time, a pattern was beginning to form. The darker Diamonds were beginning to survive the tests. The darker the Diamond was, the more power it seemed to contain. A certain strength was found in the dullest of shines; fortitude in the most lacking of lustres.

After fifty years, having risen where its siblings had failed, Black Diamond stood.

It wore a cloak much like White’s, but instead of the lustrous stars, it held only the blackest night. Its face was covered by a cowl, steeped in shadow much as its body is. With its stillness of stature, it would be easy to mistake it for some kind of mannequin, were it not for its size, or the frail, stygian hand that reaches for its scythe--a reaper of rebels, as some put it.

It was a success, and White Diamond took no hesitation in releasing it on to the Homeworld.

“And see, Blue Diamond, that I have created life,” White begins, resting on her throne as the cloaked figure kneels before them.

“It… it is a travesty…” Blue murmurs, burying her head in her hands.

“You still cling to your false morals, despite seeing what wonderful success I’ve had?” She asks, raising a brow but not bothering to look away from Black Diamond.

“It _is_ a great success,” Yellow says, lounging on her throne with a satisfied smirk. “All that must be done now is to wipe out the rebel scum, I’d say.”  
  
White smiles briefly, nodding. “Yes, it is time.” She rises from her throne, towering over Black Diamond as she brushes back her cloak. “Black Diamond, by the power of the Great Diamond Authority, you are henceforth ordered to hunt down and shatter all those who oppose our influence. You shall do so without grief, and you shall do so without mercy, so that this rebellion may be swept from life, memory, and history alike. Do you understand?”

Black Diamond nods.

“Good.” White rests back on her throne, content, and motions to the door. “Be swift, be ruthless.”


	3. Infallible

_ Diamond Court, Homeworld _ _   
_ _ ~5,349 Years Ago _

“ _WHAT DO YOU MEAN ‘IT’S SHATTERING REGULAR CITIZENS’?_ ”

Muffled explanations follow Yellow Diamond into the throne room, throwing a yellow pearl off to the side as she stomps to her throne--or, rather, White Diamond’s.

“ _ **WHITE!**_ ”

“I thought I told you not to shout in the throne room,” White warned, dismissing a white Agate who salutes and leaves to White’s palace.

“And _I_ thought Black wasn’t going to kill our _OWN_ Gems! What do we do about this!?” Yellow retorts, standing before White’s throne, where Black had knelt a mere year before. That’s all it took: one year for Black Diamond to start acting out and shattering everyone.

“It is being overzealous,” White explains, gazing off to the throne room’s doors. “It is seeing the slightest misdemeanour as an insult to us, and so it is shattering citizens for the pettiest of slights.”

“Yes, I know _what_ it’s doing. What I need to know is _how_ we’re going to stop it!” Yellow paces the Ball Room impatiently, her hands clasping behind her again. “We can’t shatter a fellow Diamond!”

“I can do as I please, Yellow.”

“ _But you can’t, White!_ ” Yellow snaps, throwing her hands up. “It’s a Diamond! Even with morals aside, we can’t shatter a Diamond!”

“It is not a true Diamond, Yellow. Now be quiet or sit in Pink Diamond’s throne, if you intend to be an obnoxious brat,” White retorts, glaring for a moment before returning to her passivity. “It is a synthetic Diamond. I ensured that, if need be, we could shatter it. Clearly, my forethought has come to fruition once again.”

“But it has too much power, White! That thing can shatter _us_!”

“Then we will shatter it first, Yellow, now _be quiet!_ ” White snaps, rising from her throne for a moment.

Yellow stares at White as she rests back into her throne, narrowing her eyes in a mix of confusion and disbelief.

“I... will break it into as many shards as I deem fit, and I will ensure that if they cannot be completely destroyed, then I will spread them throughout the cosmos, so that no-one will ever know of your mistake.”

“M- _MY?_ _MY_ MISTAKE?” Yellow sputters. “This was _YOUR-_ ”

“Were you not the one to so thoroughly insist that I enact it, Yellow?” White asks, raising a sceptical brow. “As I recall, you were the one that pestered for me to do something to fix our already dwindling rebel issue. You are to blame.”

Yellow spends almost a full ten seconds sputtering, stammering, trying to put across the absurdity, the _obscenity_ of the shifting of blame, but she eventually gives up with slack shoulders. “White… just please get rid of that thing. We can’t have it just… slaughtering our people.”

“So we find a point of agreement, at last,” White practically purrs. “Pearl! Send a summons to the Black Diamond at once!”

“Yes, My Diamond!”

Once Yellow found herself back at her throne, head in hand, White Diamond cradled her fingers, staring down the throne room doors.

“I am infallible, and should any imperfection rebuke that, it shall not remain an imperfection for long.”


	4. Life Giveth...

Just as it had seemingly days ago, Black Diamond knelt before White Diamond in the barren Ball Room, its hands intertwined in a frail salute.

“Black Diamond,” White began, rising from her throne. “You have betrayed us. I gave you the order to shatter any and all rebels to our cause, and you have shattered more Homeworld citizens than you have rebels.” Save for Pink, the other Diamonds tower over Black; White shows this especially.

Black says nothing. While lesser, it exudes a presence not found in White, nor any other Diamond: a sense of dread. It is not here to be scolded.

White extends a hand, not in assistance, but demand. “Hand me your weapon, Black Diamond. You have shown to be a ruthless hunter, but one without aim. I will correct your mistakes.” With Yellow off to tend to her own business with the rebels, the throne room holds only silence; the rage of one who won’t show it, and that of one who can’t.

Taking a moment to release its salute, a dull hand reaches under its cowl to draw out a grand scythe. The blade shimmers, almost humming, mounted on a simple snaith. Black takes the scythe in its hands, stiffly offering it up to White.

Despite the scythe matching Black’s height, to White, its size is more befitting of a trinket. She takes it in her hand, resting the blade against Black’s neck. “Tarnish Homeworld no longer, traitor of the Authority.”

She raises the blade.

_Traitor._

The scythe slices through where Black knelt, finding no solace from the Gem standing before White again. Its cloak bellows from the sudden movement, eventually resting as White comes to realize the development.

White rises her gaze, staring down the executioner, still in one piece. “You have defied and insulted me already, Black Diamond, and you still bear the insolence to do so a second time?” She drops the scythe, hearing no impact as it reduces to vanishing light.

Black draws its scythe again.

White steps aside to avoid a leaping slash, drawing her cloak to her with a disgusted glance. “You _dare._ _Guards, shatter it!_ ”

Finding a grip on White’s throne, Black jumps up to the armrest, mantling the side to run up to the peak.

Doors burst open. Topazes and citrines; yellow, white, pink, and blue; they all flow into the barren throne room. The larger Gems point up to Black, shouting orders to attack. Bows are drawn, spears are aimed, and those without ranged ability run for the thrones, shouting to Black as they begin the climb.

“9XK! Order in the Shattering Robonoids!” White orders, stepping back from her throne.

“Yes, My Diamond!” A bulky white topaz shouts, pointing to a smaller Gem who hurriedly salutes and brings up a communicator. She swings her arm towards Black, bellowing more orders to attack.

More arrows and spears soar towards Black. A javelin pierces its shoulder, threatening its grip; Black yanks it out with its spare hand and smashes it into White’s throne. Finding a better purchase, it boosts off of the javelin, clambering on to the throne’s peak.

“My Diamond, you need to seize control of its mind!” 9XK calls, earning a reviled look from White as the familiar sound of robonoids fills the room.

“You have no right to order your superior, 9XK,” she snaps, looking back to the topaz. “If it had a mind to be controlled, I would not have ca--”

“MY DIAMOND!”

Black leaps from the throne, rearing its scythe for White’s neck.

A robonoid barrels into Black’s chest.

It takes several seconds for Black to hit the ground, landing with a great thud. It doesn’t move for a time.

“ _Robonoids, converge and fire!_ ” 9XK roars, watching the swarm converge and reduce Black Diamond to a scuffed, cracked gem.

White eyes the gem cautiously, kneeling down for closer inspection. How many blasts did it take? Twenty? Thirty? It’s barely cracked. She rises to her feet again, stepping back and pointing at it. “Robonoids. Fire.”

The blasts light up the room again, a roar of energy racketing in the air.

A minute passes before White raises her hand, 9XK calling off the Robonoids in response.

Still barely cracked. Was it the fall that damaged it?

After a moment’s hesitation, White sits back on her throne with a stifled sigh. “9XK, have that gem disposed of. Take it to whomever you believe can remove it from the annals of life and history. Shatter it, contain it; it doesn’t concern me as long as I never see the wretched thing again.

9XK salutes. She swings her arm in broad motions, ordering soldiers back to their posts, and others to stay with her.

Soon, White was alone once again, sitting in wait. If fate favours, the throne room will be a little more lonely.


End file.
